Urban Lung System and Method To Separate Particulate Matter And Other Toxic Elements From The Atmospheric Air By Using Kinetic Energy Means

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a System and Method that uses kinetic energy means to purify massive amounts of air in an economic and efficient manner and to separate and collect the contamination present in the atmospheric air without using any other type of energy that would increase the contamination instead of diminishing it. This invention is a System and Method to diminish effectively the atmospheric contamination known as smog by transferring the kinetic energy generated by any moving vehicle, particularly those vehicles in the public transportation such as buses and wagons of subways, trains and taxis, to purifying means.

This application claims the benefits of provisional patent ApplicationNo. 62/304,476 filed on 7 Mar. 2016

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The contamination floating in the air of any urban area is known assmog. Smog is a gray cloud composed of hundreds of toxic elements,particulate matter of different sizes, chemical elements which are thebyproduct of human activity and gases such as CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) andOzone.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention turns one of the major contributors to the smog,the internal combustion vehicles, into cleaning units which use thekinetic energy derived from the movement of those vehicles though thestreets to extract the pollutant elements from the air, and capturesthem to be disposed of in a safe manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a top lateral view of an embodiment of the invention, in theform of several kinetic purifiers aggregated to form a single unit whichis denominated as an Urban Lung, and it is meant to be placed on top ofvehicles.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are representations of different vehicles and theposition and placement of the invention on their roofs, so as to bettercapture dirty air.

FIG. 4 is a cross section of a single kinetic purifier, which describesthe different stages within the purifier: 4.1.—Main air intake means;4.2.—First separation chamber means; 4.3.—Second separation chamber,4.4.—Trapping means, 4.5.—Gas adsorber means.

FIG. 5 is a close up of a single kinetic purifier embodiment, whichdescribes in more detail the different actions that the purifier forcesthe dirty air to perform as it travels inside the purifier according tothe principles described in the present invention: 5.1.—Air volume andpressure reducer means in first separation chamber; 5.2.—Air volume andpressure reducer means in second separation chamber; 5.3.—Gas adsorbermeans; 5.4.—Secured Access means to first separation chamber;5.5.—Secured Access means to second separation chamber means; 5.6.—DirtyAir Intake means; 5.7.—Clean Air exit means 5.8.—Insect Trap means;

FIG. 6—is a close up of the accumulation of Particulate Matter insidethe receptacle means of the Separation Chambers means.

FIG. 7 is an X Ray view of the particulate matter inside the purifier asit floats in the dirty air and approaches the Convex means.

FIG. 8, is an X Ray view of the particulate matter inside the purifieras it floats in the dirty air and the particulate matter is separatedfrom the air as it moves over the Convex means inside the separationchamber.

FIG. 9 is a different perspective of the particulate matter as it movesover the convex means

FIG. 10 shows the Particulate Matter as it is agitated and separatedfrom the air by the turbulence created by the air movement behind theconvex means at the separation chamber.

FIG. 11 is a cross section perspective in Xray of the gas adsorber meansas the air travels inside the micro-porous substance and the gases gettrapped inside.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a System and Method (FIG. 1) that usesonly kinetic energy to clean the contamination present in theatmospheric air, in a passive manner, without using any other type ofenergy that would increase the contamination instead of diminishing it.The contamination floating in the air of any urban area is known assmog. This smog is a gray cloud composed of hundreds of toxic elements,particulate matter of different sizes, chemical elements which are thebyproduct of human activity and gases which are naturally present in theatmospheric environment such as CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) and Ozone.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention uses the internalcombustion vehicles (FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) which are one of the majorcontributors to the smog, to install air purifying means (FIG. 1) thatuse the kinetic energy derived from the movement of those vehicles asthey travel their normal routes, to extract the pollutant elements fromthe air and to capture them, to be disposed of later and in a safemanner (FIG. 5, 1 through 8).

Adventegously, the System and Method described in this new inventioneliminates the need of a filter element to clean the particulate matterfrom the environmental air, which is the solution used by most aircleaners. Those filter elements create air resistance, clog easily andrequire constant and expensive maintenance.

Moreover, the present invention avoids the main issue found in other aircleaners, which require strong energy means to suck in the air and pushit through filters that retain the particulate matter carried by theair. Furthermore, each of those commercial appliances clean only acertain quantity of dirty air found near its surroundings. Such devicesare an ecological contradiction and paradox because the enormous amountof energy that is required to move large amounts of air would itselfproduce a contamination equal or worse than the amount of pollutantscollected.

In a preferred embodiment, at the center of the present invention, thereis a kinetic purifier which works passively and has no moving parts.(FIG. 4.1 through 4.5) The present invention described herein, workswithout requiring electricity to process and purify large amounts ofdirty air.

In the present invention the dirty air is not aspirated; it is forced tocirculate inside the purifier walls by the kinetic energy transferredfrom the vehicles where the purifier is mounted and in such a mannerthat the air carrying the particulate matter must flow through aseparator chamber means. As reference, the kinetic energy is the samethat allows the planes to fly. The movement of the vehicle transfersenergy from the air as it is guided through the particle matterseparator means and the toxic gasses adsorber means.

In a preferred embodiment, the kinetic purifier contains at least oneair intake means (FIG. 5.6), at least one screen protector againstheavier objects means (FIG. 5.8), at least one air volume reducer meansand particle separator means (FIG. 5.1), at least one particle mattercollection chamber means (FIG. 5.4), at least one wall of a particletrapping means made from of multitude of individual fibers, such asnatural or synthetic cotton, which allow the trapping of small particleswithout impending the flow of air.

(FIG. 4.4), and at least one means to open the collection chamber torecuperate the particulate matter and clean the separation chamber (FIG.5.5).

As contaminated air enters the kinetic purifier through the air intake(FIG. 4.1), the particles of matter floating on said air are separatedfrom the gaseous elements through at least one means that apply threewell-known physical effects.

The first is the Bernoulli Principle *, which holds that the pressure ina stream of fluid is reduced as the speed of the flow is increased. Thisprinciple is applied in an adventegous manner in the new inventionthrough the application of the Venturi effect **, which holds that thepressure in the air decreases as the velocity of the air increases as itpasses through a smaller section area in the air passways.

As the dirty air moves within a closed space passway and that space thendecreases its width and height, the speed of the air increases and thusit reduces its pressure. (FIG. 4.2)

The reduction of the passways is achieved by suspending at least oneconvex or spherical reducer means at the center of the air passwayssection (FIGS. 4.2 and 4.3). The spherical surface of the reducertriggers a third kinetic energy effect called Coandă ***, which is thetendency of a fluid jet to stay attached to a convex surface.

The dirty air circulate around the convex surface of the reducer meansfollowing closely its surface at the same time that the passway meansfirst reduces its width and then expands again. (FIG. 7). The volume ofair is thus divided as it passes through the smaller spaces around thereducer means and the air accelerates its speed and loses pressure atthe same time (FIG. 8).

As the dirty air goes around the convex reducer means, the air slows itsspeed again as the passways means expand and the particles of matter arecarried by the fluid at different speeds from different angles aroundthe convex reducer means. At the center of the back of the convexreducer means the crosscurrents cause turbulence. The turbulence iscreated in the central point of the rear part of the convex separatormeans because the air advances on all sides of the sphere except in theback central part of the convex reducer means. This turbulence causesthe air to disperse and separate the particles of matter from thegaseous elements. (FIG. F1)

The particles of toxic matter, heavier than air, lose the support of thepressure-less air current and fall due to the force of gravity. They aredeposited in the bed of the separation chamber means (FIG. 6).

In a preferred embodiment, the kinetic purifier repeats the same processin a second separation chamber, to pick up the smaller particles thatthe first chamber may have missed. (FIG. 4.2)

Furthermore, to insure the smaller particles which may have not fallenin the previous separation process, there is at least one trapping meansmade out of multitude of individual fibers, such as cotton natural orsynthetic, which allow the trapping of small particles without impendingthe flow of air. (FIG. 4.4)

The cleaner, particle-less air continues its way to the gas adsorbermeans (FIG. 4.5).

The gas adsorber means is composed of at least one means of micro-porouselement, either natural such as activated vegetal carbon from coconutshell, or a synthetic material composed of micro-porous where elementssuch as acidic toxic compounds, acetates, and organic chemicals areadsorbed. (FIG. 9)

Thus, the present and original invention called Kinetic Air Purifier, isan economical and feasible option to implement in all urban areas toclean the smog out of the sky by purifying massive amounts of dirty airwithout using a penny of electricity and without having to use andchange filters.

The passive operation of the kinetic purifier allows the accumulationand periodic collection of the toxic particles that accumulate in theseparation chamber means. (FIG. 6) without filters to replace. Thechamber(s) are opened periodically and the particles are aspiratedsafely. The adsorber means are changed periodically as its micro-porousget saturated. The adsorber means are reconstituted, and reused.

REFERENCES

* Bernoulli's Principle. A principle in hydrodynamics: the pressure in astream of fluid is reduced as the speed of the flow is increased.https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bernouili's%20principle

** The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that resultswhen a fluid flows through a constricted section (or choke) of a pipe.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_effect

*** The Coandă effect (/‘kwα:nd

/or/’kwae-/) is the tendency of a fluid jet to stay attached to a convexsurface. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coand%C4%83_effect

What is claimed is:
 1. A system that is mounted on moving vehicles toremove the Particulate Matter from the smog in the sky, known as PM10and PM2.5, by processing massive amounts of atmospheric air withoutusing electricity or filters, but by using well known physical effectsderived from kinetic energy to cause the particulate matter to drop outof the dirty air as the air is guided to move inside of said system assaid vehicles move on their daily routes.
 2. A system that is mounted onmoving vehicles to remove toxic gases from the smog in the sky and areadsorbed by at least one micro-porous means, that purifies massiveamounts of atmospheric air without using electricity or filters, butusing well known physical effects derived from kinetic energy as the airis guided to move inside of said system as said vehicles move on theirdaily routes.
 3. A system, according to claim 1, that has at least onemeans to reduce momentarily the overall width and height of the pathfollowed by the air, increasing the speed of the air and reducing itspressure, as indicated by the Ventouri effect.
 4. A system according toclaim 1 that has at least one means which is convex shaped and placed insuch a manner so the air is directed to flow over said convex surfaceand create thus the Coandă effect.
 5. A system according to claim 1 thathas at least one means to increase the overall width and height of thepath followed by the air and create a turbulence of the air flowing overthe convex means.
 6. A system according to claim 1 that has at least onemeans to collect and store safely the Particulate Matter that drops outof the smog due to gravity forces and at least one means of loose fibersto collect particulate matter without interrupting the flow of air.
 7. Asystem according to claim 1 that has at least one means to adsorb toxicgasses that float within the dirty air.
 8. A method for a system to bemounted on moving vehicles to remove the Particulate Matter from thesmog in the sky, known as PM10 and PM2.5, by processing massive amountsof atmospheric air without using electricity or filters, but by usingwell known physical effects derived from kinetic energy to cause theparticulate matter to drop out of the dirty air as the air is guided tomove inside of said system as said vehicles move on their daily routes.9. A method for a system according to claim 8, that has at least onemeans to reduce momentarily the overall width and height of the pathfollowed by the air, increasing the speed of the air and reducing itspressure, as indicated by the Ventouri effect.
 10. A method for a systemaccording to claim 8 that has at least one means which is convex shapedand placed in such a manner so the air is directed to flow over saidconvex surface and create thus the Coandă effect.
 11. A method for asystem according to claim 8 that has at least one means to increase theoverall width and height of the path followed by the air and create aturbulence of the air flowing over the convex means.
 12. A method for asystem according to claim 8 that has at least one means to collect andstore safely the Particulate Matter that drops out of the smog due togravity forces and at least one means of loose fibers to collectparticulate matter without interrupting the flow of air.